The bill amends the Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985 by eliminating previously established boundaries for education service cooperatives and requiring each cooperative to develop a strategic plan. It mandates the creation of an executive subcommittee within each cooperative's board of directors and grants the State Board of Education the authority to take action against cooperative directors under certain conditions. Significant deletions from current law include the repeal of requirements for establishing boundaries based on the number of counties and school districts, as well as the requirement for cooperatives to establish a teacher center. The bill also modifies the conditions for the dissolution of cooperatives and allows public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to petition for changes in their cooperative membership.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new rating system for education service cooperatives, which evaluates their performance based on multiple measures, including academic achievement and student growth. It specifies that cooperatives receiving an "F" rating for three consecutive years may face state intervention. The bill also outlines the process for assigning member districts when a cooperative is dissolved and mandates the revision of the funding formula in such cases. Overall, the amendments aim to enhance the operational flexibility, accountability, and responsiveness of education service cooperatives to the needs of local public schools in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
HB 2002: 6-13-1002, 6-13-1003, 6-13-1004, 6-13-1005, 6-13-901, 6-13-1006, 6-13-1007, 6-13-1021, 6-13-1027, 6-13-1008, 6-13-1009, 6-13-1010, 6-13-1022, 6-13-1011, 6-13-1012, 6-13-1013, 6-13-1031, 6-13-1014, 6-13-1015, 6-13-1016, 6-13-1017, 6-13-1018, 6-13-1019, 6-13-1020, 6-13-1023, 6-13-1025, 6-13-1027(e), 6-13-1027(g)